Equilibrated breech block



Patented Jan. l, 1924.

UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

PROSPER JULES CHAR-BONNIER, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

EQUILIBRATED BREECH BLOCK.

Application led August 2, 1922.

To all whom it `72mg/ concern.'

. Be it known that I, PRosrER JULES CHAR- BONNIEP., a citizen of the Republic of France,

and residing at Paris, Seine Department, in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Equilibrated Breech Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a breech-block lo having a large surface of Contact and a minimum size which remains constant in all positions, as Well as a perfect balancing, and is adapted for all calibres without prejudice to its qualities as to safety or facility of i5 operations.

The said breech block is composed of a solid block having two opposite surfaces of revolution whereof one serves for the closing and the other for contact with the breech,

the said piece being pivoted on a pair of trunnions whose axis passes substantially through the centre of gravity.

The accompanying drawings which are given by way of example show a breechblock according to the invention.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the breech-block in longitudinal section on a plane passing through the axis of the can non,

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, and

Fig. 3 a plan view in section.

Fig. 4 is a. vertical section on a larger scale of the trunnion arrangement of the breechblock.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view similar to that of Figure 1 showing the positions of the centers.

1 indicates the breech wherein is formed a recess 2 for inserting the breech-block 3; the latter has a portion with a spherical surface 4 at the front part for closing the cannon and at the rear a portion with surface of revolution 5 bearing upon the breech, the other surfaces being plane.

The whole device is mounted upon the horizontal trunnions 6 and pivots thereupon by means of a lever 7 keyed to a shaft 8 which is secured to a toothed quadrant 9 enga in a like quadrant 10 mounted on the breec -b ook. To obviate jamming, the said axle is disposed below the centre of the surface 4 and above the centre of the surface 5,

Serial No. 579,240.

the breech-block being opened by giving it a counter-clockwise rotation, Fig. 1.

Figure 5 shows the position of the centers of the surfaces 4 and 5 and that of the axis about which the breech is pivoting.

It will be seen that the center A of the surface 4 is located above the axis C about which the breech is pivoting, this latter axis being itself arranged above the center B of the surface 5.

Under these conditions, as soon as the breech is moved in the direction of the arrow, for the purpose of opening, it will be observed that the center A comes to A, and the center B to B, and that the surfaces 4 and 5 assume the positions which are indicated in dash and dotted lines in moving away from the bearing surfaces of the breech-end. Cf course, on the drawing, the distances AC and CB have been enlarged; in the reality these distances are very small.

The trunnions 6 are supported upon knifeedges 11 mounted in the breech with a certain amount of play, Fig. 4, and held by springs 12 driving the same forward through the medium of the bearings 12, whereby the breech-block will offer no resistance to the opening at its surface of contact` For a like purpose, the trunnions 6 are laterally maintained by an elastic device, for example by springs 13. The breech-block is provided with a cylindrical aperture 14 Whose axis is vertical when the breech-block is closed and horizontal when open, and in the latter case said a erture is located in the prolongation of the ore of the cannon, and a like aperture 15 is rovided at the end of the breech. It is o served that the rojectile can thus be introduced, when loa ing, through the breech-block itself. The movements of the breech-block are limited in either sense by suitable stops such as stopscrews.

Claims:

1. In a gun, a block adapted to be used as a breech, horizontal trunnions on this block arranged at right angle to the axis of the gun and movable in the breech-end, this block having a convex spherical face at the front and a convex revolving surface at the rear, the breech-end having concave bearing surfaces corresponding to the said surfaces,

the axis of the trunnions bein placed under the center of the front face o the block and above the center of the rear face so that the opening of the breech produces a rise of its 5 frontace.

2. In a gn, a Blech adapted to be used as a breech, trunnions on this block, knife edged i blocks upon which these trunnions rest, these knife edged blocks being mounted in the gun with a certain play, and springs adapted to press the said knife edged blocks forwardly.

In testimony that I cla/ini ehe foregoing as my invention, I have signed my naine.

PROSPER JULES CHARBONNIER. 

